Author: Administrator

So after having my rack space just sitting out in my basement for the last couple of years I found it annoying that I had to be constantly mindful of what I had powered on and when I decided to use it due to noise.

If I wanted to fire up a quantity of hardware in lab form it usually sounded like I was on the tarmac next to a commercial jet. The deal breaker was I added some larger hardware pieces that were more server based than switches and their large power supplies’ noise let me know I needed to make a change in my rack setup.

In addition to this I decided to start to add more drops to my house for hard wired connections and add a UPS for power protection and conditioning.

My idea to silence the hardware noise was to isolate the noise so I decided to clean out and soundproof the closet next to it. I cut the rack down to about 5/8ths of its size and secured it then added foam sound proofing to the door. After that I added a GFI outlet and ordered some more foam soundproofing. I added a Liebert UPS and patch panel to run the first set to 20 drops I ran to. The cable is a mix of 5e and 6 depending on what I planned to use the specific drop for.

I built in two shelves that are set up to charge my three laptops and added a new CISCO SG500 switch for my main switch to run the core home network.

I have not paid attention to this site in a long time. I have a different job now that is not entirely IT/Engineering based anymore but more of a mix of financials and accounting with a smattering of database and platform operation.

After a few months of not working on anything physical I have found again an interest in tinkering with hardware, electronics, and other crafty fun as I do not spend 10 hours a day six days a week on it at work. I am going to throw up some lab projects, home DIY, and other goodies just for fun and to share ideas with other electro-mechanical mad scientists.

Disclaimer: Much of what I talk about should only be done by qualified electrical, electronic, mechanical, and engineering professionals. Modification to electrical systems both DC and AC is extremely hazardous and can result in fire and electrocution. Almost anything I do will void an active warranty and is against the manufacturers recommendations of operation. Also please check with your local building, engineering, and electical codes to make sure any project is within the bounds of code and law. Now that being said… have fun and be safe!